The Immortals stars Eric Roberts as Jack, a seedy club owner who assembles a crew of degenerate criminals to steal suitcases filled with cash from various drop points throughout the city. Along for the ride is Tia Carrere, Joe Pantoliano, Chris Rock, Brian T. Finney, Clarence Williams III, and one of my favorite character actors, Mr. William Forsythe himself. Paired with someone that clashes with their personality type in order to keep them honest, they set out to retrieve the proverbial goodies...with mixed results. Some are shot, some are chased by the police, and others bring their parents along for the ride. However, like most prototypical Hollywood heist movies, things dont go as planned once the money has been procured, and our band of amateur thieves find themselves smack dab in the middle of a blood-soaked double-cross. If that wasnt enough, they soon learn that they all share a common thread, one that changes the rules of the game entirely. As a vicious mob boss (Tony Curtis) infiltrates the club to collect what was stolen from him, this collection of polar opposites must band together to escape with the money...and their lives.

While The Immortals plays out like your average low-budget heist movie, theres enough originality in its execution to make you think youre watching something both fresh and new. All of the scripts shortcomings are smoothed out by the ensemble cast -- if you can call a ragtag collection of B-movies actors an ensemble cast -- who do their best to keep things exciting, kinetic, and light-hearted.

Theres a hefty amount of bloodshed peppered throughout the course of the movie. Not only that, but when characters are shot, they dont immediately die. We also get several variations on the John Woo-esque Mexican Standoff, including an inspired bit between Eric Roberts and Tony Curtis as they instruct their respective henchmen who to target and when to shoot. The squib work is also nice, so those looking for some meaty exit wounds should have plenty to cheer about.

This film will probably get all kinds of flack from those who dont like Tarantino-inspired gangster movies. The Immortals has enough original ideas and incredible performances to help it rise above its station as yet another violent modern-day mob movie. Its not going to win any awards, but its a pretty interesting way to spend 90 minutes of your life. Just try to keep the Tarantino comparisons to a minimum, okay? If you can watch, say, Boondock Saints without calling attention to its many borrowed ideas, you should have no problem whatsoever passing The Immortals through your cinema-choked colon.